Marinated Mono Olives Recipe

Rinse and Drain

Place the pitted green and black olives in a fine-mesh sieve or colander and rinse under cool running water for 20–30 seconds to remove excess brine. Drain well and transfer to a medium mixing bowl.

If olives are whole and you want more surface area for marinade penetration, gently bruise a few with the flat of a chef's knife or lightly score each olive with a small cut. This step is optional.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, water, coarse sea salt and granulated sugar until the salt and sugar dissolve. The oil should form a cohesive dressing.

Add the orange zest, whole black peppercorns and red pepper flakes to the dressing and stir to combine.

Add the crushed garlic cloves, rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, oregano leaves and bay leaves to the bowl with the drained olives.

Pour the prepared marinade over the olives and aromatics, tossing gently with a spoon to make sure olives are well coated and aromatics distributed evenly.

Transfer the olives and marinade to a clean, airtight glass jar or container, pressing aromatics into the oil so they are submerged. If necessary, add a little more olive oil (up to 2 tbs) to cover.

Let the olives cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes), then seal and refrigerate. For best flavor, marinate at least 24 hours; 48–72 hours yields deeper flavor. Olives will keep refrigerated up to 2 weeks; bring to room temperature before serving (about 20–30 minutes).

Before serving, remove the sprigs of rosemary, thyme and bay leaves if desired (you may leave small leaves for presentation). Stir in the chopped parsley to brighten the flavor.

Arrange the marinated olives in a shallow bowl, drizzle any remaining marinade over the top, and garnish with optional lemon slices. Serve with crusty bread, crackers or as part of an antipasti platter.

Taste and adjust seasoning: if olives taste too salty, add a splash of water or additional olive oil; if they need more acidity, add a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice and let sit 30 minutes.